RI Attorney Charged With Scamming Sick and Elderly

A Rhode Island attorney and an employee of his Cranston, R.I., estate planning company were charged in a 66-count federal grand jury indictment returned Thursday alleging that they conspired to steal and to use the identities of terminally-ill patients and elderly individuals to obtain more than 25 million dollars in illicit profits from insurance companies and bond issuers.

The two-year investigation and indictment were announced by Peter F. Neronha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Robert Bethel, Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Office of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.

Scammed Sick and Elderly

The indictment alleges that Caramadre and Radhakrishnan made misrepresentations to terminally-ill and elderly patients and their family members in order to obtain their personal identity information. It is alleged they used the information, including names; dates of birth; and social security numbers, to obtain more than 200 variable annuities and to open more than 75 brokerage accounts in order to purchase “death-put" bonds in the victims’ names without their knowledge and consent. It is alleged that the defendants either forged the signatures of terminally-ill people on account documents or obtained the signatures by means of misrepresentations. When the terminally- ill person died, it is alleged that Caramadre and others reaped substantial profits by exercising death benefits associated with the investments. The scheme allegedly generated more than $25 million in illicit profits.

It is alleged that Attorney Joseph Caramadre launched the scheme in 1995. Raymour Radhakrishnan is alleged to have begun participating in the scheme when he was hired by Caramadre in 2007.

According to the indictment, one means by which the defendants undertook their alleged scheme was to regularly place advertisements in the Rhode Island Catholic newspaper, offering a $2,000 charitable gift to people suffering from a terminal illness. It is alleged that Radhakrishnan met with individuals and their family members who responded to the advertisement and gave them money on Caramadre’s behalf, while, at the same time, making an assessment as to the life expectancy of the person. It is alleged that if Radhakrishnan believed the person was likely to die in the near future, he would tell them Caramadre had more money available for them. Radhakrishnan and Caramadre then allegedly either forged the terminally-ill person’s signatures or obtained their signatures on account opening documents by making misrepresentations and omissions about the nature of the documents.

False Claims

The indictment alleges that some terminally-ill people were misled when they were told their signatures were needed for receipts documenting Caramadre’s charitable gift. Others were allegedly misled when they were told that an account would be opened to benefit the terminally-ill person’s surviving family members, or that an account would be opened to benefit other families suffering from terminal illness. The indictment alleges that Caramadre and Radhakrishnan concealed from the terminally-ill people, their families and care givers that Caramadre and his investors stood to make a substantial profit from their deaths.

In addition, the indictment alleges that Caramadre and Radhakrishnan made numerous misrepresentations to insurance companies, brokerage houses and other corporate entities. It is alleged that they falsely claimed that the terminally-ill people were clients of Caramadre’s law practice and that the terminally-ill people were not paid or given money to become annuitants. It is also alleged that the defendants misrepresented the financial assets and investment experience of the terminally-ill people; misrepresented the relationship between the terminally-ill people and Caramadre or his clients; that the proceeds of the accounts would go to the terminally-ill; falsely claimed that Caramadre paid for the terminally-ill people’s burial expenses at the request of the Catholic Church; and concealed Caramadre’s ownership interest in many of the investments.

According to the indictment, Caramadre attracted capital from wealthy and prominent individuals and corporations as investors by telling them that he discovered a “loophole” which permitted the use of terminally-ill persons on variable annuities and as co-owners on joint brokerage accounts to be used to purchase death-put bonds. Caramadre allegedly entered into profit-sharing agreements with some of these outside investors, through which Caramadre allegedly received a significant percentage of all profits earned.

Caramadre Response

According to Gregg Perry, a spokesman for Caramadre, the case was “crafted and conceived by overzealous prosecutors and Federal agents who were lead astray by an insurance industry”

“Mr. Caramadre is not surprised by the allegations, in light of the well-documented reckless and uninformed tales prosecutors and federal agents have spread to family, friends, business associates and even the Court in an effort to whip up an indictment against him. Mr. Caramadre denies the government’s allegations and looks forward to easily proving his innocence.”

Perry continued: “Despite the government’s theory, anyone who knows Mr. Caramadre understands he did not and could not take advantage of anyone, let alone terminally-ill individuals. He would like to thank the many families who have expressed gratitude and moral support, especially those families who have participated in this program. Mr. Caramadre believes he will quickly clear his good name and looks forward to returning to his philanthropic activities that have assisted thousands of individuals over the years."